Tempo Recordings.

Tori Amos Under the Pink (Atlantic...

February 10, 1994|By Brad Webber.

Tori Amos

Under the Pink (Atlantic) (STAR)(STAR)(STAR) 1/2

Tori Amos' songs seem to have one salient feature: women who can't find good men and men who come to a bad end. There are deeper messages beyond the 30-year-old songstress' tough veneer, though there's no way around the latent feminism. It's clear that the demons from 1992's "Little Earthquakes" have not be exorcised, with anger directed toward organized religion (on the song "God"), politicians and hypocrites. The haunting "Pretty Good Year" sets the tone, chastising friends who have gone astray. At times (especially on "The Wrong Band") Amos' soprano warbles instead of lilts. Nevertheless, her emotions seem genuine, tempered by a bit of naivete on the song "Icicle," lamenting change. This is not for the light of heart. Heck, even the icicle melts in the end.